http://mmajunkie.comJussier da Silva might not have seemed like the most fearsome of future fighters if someone had watched him play with his friends growing up in Natal, the capital of a northeastern Brazilian state.

“I grew up at Natal’s west zone, and my childhood was pretty good,” da Silva wrote in an e-mail to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I used to play soccer, kite, and also me and my friends used to [wrestle] each other down at the hill. That’s how I grew up.”

Out of those non-ferocious activities, though, has emerged perhaps the most respected flyweight in the world. And now, fans in the United States will get an up-close look at him for the first time.

Da Silva, 25, makes his long-awaited American debut on Dec. 2 when he takes on Danny Martinez (13-3) at Tachi Palace Fights 7, an event that streams for free on MMAjunkie.com. The highly anticipated fight continues a career that so far has seen da Silva compile an 8-0 record fighting most recently in Shooto.

Nicknamed “Formiga” – which in Portuguese means “ant” – da Silva wasn’t always certain that he was big enough to be a professional mixed martial artist. But, already a jiu-jitsu practitioner in the hometown where he still lives with his son, mother and sister (in the same house where he grew up, in fact), da Silva earned guidance from MMA fighters who began coming to his gym and especially from Renan Barao.

Barao, the WEC fighter who also went from Shooto to the U.S., has been one of da Silva’s strongest advocates, stressing to him that he could fight because of his skill, not because of his size.

“He was already fighting, and he was always telling me to fight,” da Silva wrote. “He said that although I was pretty small, I was very strong and had great jiu jitsu, so I would be fine.”

A simple upbringing

Da Silva enjoyed the simple games with his friends growing up in a small town with simple means.

Natal is the capital of Rio Grande do Notre, a Brazilian state. The city’s population has been estimated at about 800,000 and has also been called one of the country’s safest cities.

Da Silva, Barao and Fabio Holanda all have come out of the city as MMA fighters, so it has made its own mark in the sport. But da Silva wasn’t certain what his life would bring.

“My family was always with low money, we couldn’t get everything we wanted to, but there was always food on the table,” he wrote.

“The most important thing my parents were able to give to me (was) a good education and good character. They (taught) me to always make the right move and not be influenced by bad people.”

By the time da Silva was a jiu-jitsu blue belt, MMA fighters began training at his gym. He had done training in submissions, and he took to the MMA fighters and their techniques.

After three years, he was ready to become an MMA fighter himself – with the help of Barao. His debut came in May 2005 at a Tremons Fight show.

“I always thought about making a living as an athlete, and I couldn’t do that with jiu jitsu, so MMA had to be my next step in order to help my family,” da Silva wrote.

His armbar submission earned him a first-round victory, though his fights haven’t always been that easy. Of his eight victories, five have come by unanimous decision. That doesn’t mean he is any less feared by the world’s other flyweights, though.

They’re continuing to learn more about him, in fact, after he fought outside of his native country for the first time only recently.

Coming on strong

Da Silva was 6-0 by the time he was able to take his first fight outside of Brazil’s borders.

It came against Shinichi Kojima at a Shooto show in Tokyo in July 2009. Da Silva had already won two Shooto fights in Brazilian shows, and Kojima was 10-3-5, meaning it was one of da Silva’s most significant chances to make an impact.

It was a unanimous-decision victory for da Silva that gave him both confidence and recognition.

“It was the fight that put me on the map, and it was also my first fight outside of Brazil and against a Japanese guy,” da Silva wrote. “I always wanted to fight a Japanese (fighter).”

Da Silva won one more fight – against Alexandre Pantoja in June – before a U.S. promotion finally came calling. In August, he signed a four-fight exclusive contract with Tachi Palace Fights.

Although highly respected in MMA circles, this is da Silva’s opportunity to make a bigger splash in the MMA world. With the UFC expected soon to launch a flyweight division – and with the organization’s relationship with Tachi Palace Fights – da Silva could cement his top-prospect reputation.

He has come from humble beginnings, flying kites and wrestling with friends, but his MMA credentials are unquestioned.

Now he wants people in the United States to know that.

“I hope I can make people know me in the U.S. and to be able to have a better life financially,” da Silva said. “(I) hope I can be paid like the sport’s stars so I can give everybody in my family a better life. Also, I would love to become Tachi’s champion, and to remain as the [No. 1] guy for a long time.”

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